text:
By HarlemHouse
HIP HOP SOUL JAM – A Celebration of Emerging Artists Performing For a Cause
Next Thursday May 6th, 2010 at The Shrine Bar in Harlem, marks the launch of Hip-Hop Soul Jam, a quarterly performance series showcasing emerging hip hop soul artists making music for a purpose. The event, conceived and produced by Hip Hop Saves Lives Founder Chad Harper, aims to expose new and positive talent in the hip hop soul community, while using the power of genre of vital causes.
The event format will feature live performances by select local and international acts, highlight and benefit a chosen charity, and conclude with a DJ led dance party celebrating music genres of the Black Diaspora and bringing together actors in the entertainment community.
"We want to give a spotlight to quality hip hop soul artists, those with a focus on saying something and creating music with artistic integrity, while showing the power of hip hop soul to effect change on a global level. We'll place emphasis on acts who follow their words with actions, personifying Hip Hop Saves Lives' motto, 'We don't just talk about it, we be about it,'" Harper said. To this end he has teamed up with co-producer Jake Bright, a DJ and Director of African focused Cocody Productions, twice recognized by award winning radio program Afropop Worldwide and having produced events for The Touch Foundation and Alicia Keys' Keep a Child Alive.
The inaugural event will feature performances by local artists including Gene Pritsker´s Sound Liberation, the concert will also feature Nahdi, Squala Orphan, Clarisa Rose, R-Kitech and Chanda Rule, as well Babaluku of Uganda and Makhtar from Senegal. The evening's donations will benefit Charity Water (charitywater.org), which is currently working on providing earthquake survivors of Haiti with clean drinking water. Evening will also include a special photographic exhibit on Haiti by Bennett Raglin. AOC Fine Wines is sponsoring the red carpet reception.
Hip Hop Saves Lives, founded by Chad Harper is a charitable/entertainment organization dedicated to using the powerof hip hop for global change. Its primary focus is clean water wells for Africa and educating the hip hop community on living green. Coming ventures include an on-line radio and TV show, news letter, and magazine www.hiphopsaveslives.org
Shrine Bar, themed after the legendary artist Fela Kuti's bar of the same name, is one of New York's pre-eminent live music venues (www.shrinenyc.com).
(red carpet interviews and wine reception 8:00pm – 8:45)
Cocody Productions (pronounced Cocoa Dee), formed in New York by Directors Tunde Agboke, Jake Bright, and Ken Oriwa, produces upscale events showcasing art, music, film, non-profit activities, business, and fashion of Africa and the African Diaspora. CONTACT: Jake Bright 347-204-7576 // firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Gascs Pocket Dictionary of the French and English Languages by Marc Ceppi
1936. 672 pages. No dust jacket. Green cloth. Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Minor issues present such as mild cracking, inscriptions, inserts, light foxing, tanning and thumb marking. Overall a good condition item. Boards have mild shelf wear with light rubbing and corner bumping. Some light marking and tanning.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Booster Gold
"I need Booster like I need a hole in the head."
"If I had technology from the future, I could be a corprate sellout too, you know!"
"He's a glory hound prick!"
Booster Gold is a clone of Bill Gates from the future. He does not know who his genetic donor is, but he shares Gates' love of money and KFM. Gates never left him any money, as he decided to live forever as a robot in this future.
Booster stole a DeLorean from a museum and drove back in time. who was at the time, n. His floating robotic companion, Skeets, tells Booster when he needs to be and where, usually to fight supervillains or go grocery shopping. An important part of Booster Gold's identity is that he once genetically altered a clone of himself, resulting in Goldmember. Whenever Booster Gold appears on screen, the background music change's to Kanye West's Golddigger. Booster also once became a man-whore to an old lady because he needed money and a roof over his head (because he was afraid of water). The man-whore part is real because D.C. is fucked up. They retconned it out of continuity but still kept the brutal rape and murder (two different people) of Booster's friend Sue Dibny.
" | Wait...who? | " |
—Justice League of America, on Booster Gold |
Booster Gold Today[edit]
After pushing Superman into a red sun, Booster Gold flew around the earth laughing. With Superman down and out, Booster is now free to wear stickers on his shirt, pretending to advertise for fake companies. He is still wreaking havoc across Metropolis.
The Future[edit]
You already read about the future. It happened when he was younger.
"Oh yeah... Move it just like that... Ooh, that's nice... Yeah..."
Booster Gold travelled back in time to 1986 to live with his one true love Wonder Woman. They lived happily together in a giant heart-shaped love-ship, which had been crafted out of parts of the Anti-Monitor by Gold and Wonder Woman after the Anti-Monitor's defeat by the massed superheroes of the DC Universe. This was, of course, during the event known as the Crisis on Infinite Earths. Or maybe Infinite Crisis. Anyhow, Skeets needed extensive rebuilding, having been almost totally destroyed by the Anti-Monitor in the battle.
Unfortunately, Booster Gold's girlfriend Wonder Woman was too much of a needy bitch for him. He started a crossover relationship with She-Hulk,but Wonder Woman still loved her man and fought She-Hulk. the fight between She-Hulk and Wonder Woman led them (as well as any two women who fight) to having sexual intercourse with each other. They became trucker lesbians that travel america spreading dirty hot woman on woman love throughout the midwest. Booster realized he would be alone forever, so he bulit a female love slave to obey him. Skeets overrided the slave's programming and they ran away together. Booster Gold is still looking for love (for a price). For Booster's "special" services call him at 555-5555.
He's waiting (really he's that desparate).
Preceded by: Bill Gates |
Greediest man in existance 1986 - 20XX |
Succeeded by: Booster Obsidian (the black sheep of the family) |


text:
Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis)
I have never really thought much about sparrows, but this seems to be changing. In my other blog reflecting on Mary Oliver's poetry, sparrows have come up frequently in her poems and my writing. Then on Sunday, as part of the local Christmas Bird Count, I was a member of a counting circle that emphasized sparrows. We formed "sparrow lines" to flush out and identify the birds. Okay, I was more of flusher than an identifier. Only two days later I received in the mail rather serendipitously a promotional nature calendar whose subject was...wait for it....sparrows!
Then yesterday this story was brought to my attention:
"Tell me, how much is a snowflake in weight?" asked a sparrow a wild pigeon.
"Not more than nothing" was the answer.
"Then", the sparrow says, "I want to tell you a wonderful story: I was
sitting on a branch of a pine tree, close to the trunk when it started to
snow. Not much, not like in a storm. No, it was like in a dream, without
any touch of intensity. Because I did not have anything else to do I started
to count those snowflakes which fell on my branch and the needles. Their
number was 3 741 952. When the next snowflake fell on the branch - not
more than a nothing as you said - the branch broke."
The sparrow did not say more, he took off.
The pigeon, which is supposed to be an authority since Noah in this topic,
thought a while about this story and then said to itself: May be there is
only one voice missing on our earth that peace will be in our world.
Is yours the missing voice?
Is it the sparrows?
Is it mine?
What I am learning, oh Lord, ever so slowly, is that all beings matter, for each sings a song of life, and of death.
So to affirm this knowing I plan to embody this song. I shall learn more about sparrows this year. Let them no longer be unidentifiable "little-brown'jobs" but daily miracles to discern.
May I in this year come to know the voices in the field as I add my song to theirs.
Whose voice shall you join this year?


text:
Lisa Ling: "I Was Terrified Of Motherhood"
Our America host Lisa Ling has sure been one busy first-time mom! Aside from taking care of her five-month-old daughter, Jett, the TV journalist serves as an Ambassador for The IKEA Life Improvement Project. This initiative donates to Save the Children's Early Steps For School program that supports early education.
Lisa opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about her role as a Life Improvement Project Ambassador, why the Early Steps For School program is so important, and how her little girl Jett is doing. She also shares a funny story about how she once had to Fed-Ex her milk to Jett when she was on the road working on the fifth season of Our America!
CBS: Tell us about your role as an Ambassador for the IKEA Life Improvement Project.
LL: "IKEA approached me last year about becoming an Ambassador. I am such a huge fan of IKEA and always have been. In fact, when my husband and I built our home three years ago, we used a ton of IKEA products in our house. We built the first LEED-certified platinum home in Santa Monica, as we are both nerdy environmentalists. [laughs]
Many people don't realize that IKEA is incredibly philanthropic. IKEA'S Life Improvement Project is a site where people can submit ideas, suggestions, and stories abut how they improved their lives and their homes, so others can get ideas from them. For every idea submitted, a dollar goes to Save the Children's early education effort. This is something that really appealed to me. At the conclusion of the project, IKEA will present fifty thousand dollars to Save the Children. I was really excited about that."
CBS: You will help IKEA present the very generous donation to Save the Children's Early Steps for School Success program. What is the program all about?
LL: "I've always been an advocate for early childhood education. My mother-in-law actually helped start the program in Newark, New Jersey. Save the Children works in low-income communities to help young children get access to early education. It's something I wish more communities would try to do, because it's been proven that when children get exposed to early education, their cognitive abilities develop and it helps them become more successful in the end."
CBS: How's your baby girl, Jett, doing? Is she an easy baby? Have you been able to get a lot of sleep?
LL: "She's great! Fortunately for all of us, she's napping right now. [laughs] She's enriched our lives in such a profound way. We feel so lucky, albeit I am a little sleep deprived." [laughs]
CBS: What is your favorite part about being a mom so far? Do you have any special motherhood moments to share?
LL: "To be honest, my favorite part about being a mom is going into her room at night and just staring at her. I can stare at her forever… feeling that connection to this little person is so amazing. As strange as it sounds, my biggest fear about having a child was being responsible for another life. However, one thing I derive pleasure from is knowing that I have this person to take care of who needs me. She is such a beautiful little life.
My favorite motherhood moments are every time she smiles. She recently just started smiling and laughing, and there's this little sounds she makes when she laughs that warms my heart."
CBS: You waited so long to become a mom, is motherhood everything you thought it would be? Has it transformed you or changed you?
LL: "It's funny you ask that, because I was never that woman who had this desire to have a baby; it wasn't my long-awaited wish. Now that we have her, I can't imagine life without her because she's brought so much joy to my life. I was terrified of motherhood before having her; I even spent the day before she was born crying and thinking to myself, 'What have we done? We can't go back now!' [laughs] Now we are at a place where we can't imagine life without her.
Motherhood has transformed me, because the world looks so different now. I've always wanted to do things that help me expand my horizons and my mind, and I've always wanted to do work that I could be proud of. Now I want my work to be something that my daughter is proud of."
CBS: Do you believe "women having it all" is unrealistic or is it attainable?
LL: "I don't think it is realistic at all. I think women make so many sacrifices, much more than men do. It's okay to not have it all, it's okay to ask for help, and it's okay to say, 'I need to talk to someone and I need to confide in other people about things.' I think the idea of women having it all is nice to imagine, but I don't think it is really possible. I think we can have a whole lot of things and we can be good at a lot of things, but we also should feel like it's okay to ask for help when we need it."
CBS: What upcoming projects do you have?
LL: "I am now working on the fifth season of my show, Our America. It isn't airing until next year, but I'm already on the road a bit here and there, which is definitely challenging. The last trip I took was a week long and I ended up Fed-Exing my milk for Jett, which is funny because it really worked! [laughs] I Fed-Exed it overnight and when it arrived, a lot of it was still totally frozen. Technology and all of the things we are able to do to expedite things are amazing."
CBS: What are you and your family doing this summer? Any fun family trips?
LL: "We are probably going to stay home a lot, because I am doing tons of work. My husband and I are also going to Mongolia. We were supposed to go last year, but I got pregnant and we had to postpone the trip to the end of this summer. Mongolia is the place I've always wanted to visit the most. I've always been fascinated with the Mongol Empire and I've been to so many other countries surrounding Mongolia. I'm super excited to go! Both grandmas have been kind enough to watch Jett for a week."


text:
U.K.-Algeria Deal to Deport Suspects Is Fig-Leaf for Torture
Human Rights Watch, March 8, 2006
(London, March 8, 2006) – The United Kingdom cannot deport security suspects at risk of torture to Algeria without violating international law, Human Rights Watch said today. British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said after official talks in Algiers on February 16 that "good progress" had been made on a deportation agreement and that both countries wanted to sign "as soon as possible," according to Reuters news agency.
The proposed agreement reportedly resembles the memoranda of understanding (MOUs) that the U.K. has already reached with Jordan, Lebanon, and Libya. Under these memoranda, the receiving governments provide "diplomatic assurances" that they will not mistreat persons that the other country transfers to their territory.
"These MOUs will not prevent torture," said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East and North Africa division. "On the contrary, they are tacit admissions that torture is practiced and that these individuals are at risk."
Under the agreement, Algeria stands to gain custody of its nationals now in U.K. custody and Britain can rid itself of Algerians it has labeled as security threats but is either unwilling or unable to prosecute. The memorandum is designed to address the fact that international law prevents the transfer of persons to countries where they are at risk of torture.
Such agreements are inherently unreliable, and have been widely criticized by international human rights experts, including U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour, U.N. Special Rapporteur on Torture Manfred Nowak, and outgoing Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Alvaro Gil-Robles.
"The British government should be encouraging Algeria to take positive action to eradicate torture, instead of looking for ways around the obligation not to return people at risk of torture," Whitson said. "If there is real evidence that these suspects pose a threat they should be prosecuted in the British courts."
The U.K. and Algeria are parties to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which contains an absolute prohibition on the transfer, return (refoulement), or expulsion of persons to countries where there are substantial grounds for believing that they would be in danger of being subjected to torture. The U.K. is also a party to the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, which was incorporated into its domestic law by the Human Rights Act 1998. That convention also provides for an absolute ban on acts of torture and transfers to countries where there is a risk of torture.
The British Home Office detailed the practice of torture in Algeria in an April 2004 report that was prepared by the Country Information and Policy Unit and is used in assessing asylum claims. Human Rights Watch last visited Algeria in June 2005 and concluded that the authorities continue to practice torture, especially during interrogation of security suspects, although the number of reported cases has declined since the years of intensive political strife in the mid-1990s.
In 2004, Algeria adopted an amendment to its penal code criminalizing torture. But if the Algerian government were to sign such an MOU, it would in effect be acknowledging that its adoption of domestic laws and its ratification of international conventions are insufficient guarantees that its agents do not practice torture. The U.K.'s pursuit of an MOU constitutes recognition of this reality.
Last week, Algerian authorities also effectively sanctioned impunity for torture and other human rights abuses committed during the years of rampant civil strife in the 1990s. On February 27, the cabinet enacted a law granting a sweeping amnesty for all security force members. The law, in the guise of "peace and national reconciliation," exempts from prosecution any actions taken during the "national tragedy" whose purpose was to protect persons and property, or to safeguard the nation and state institutions.
The earlier agreements Britain reached with Jordan, Libya and Lebanon represent an effort to circumvent the strict non-refoulement obligations under the Convention against Torture and the European Convention on Human Rights. In recognition of the problem, the three MOUs contain a measure that purports to act as a safeguard against abuse: the establishment of a body, nominated jointly by the two signatory governments, which can periodically visit and privately interview any person whom the receiving state takes into custody, and then report on those visits to the sending state.
In reality, such post-return monitoring will not protect returnees from torture. Straw admitted the difficulties to a parliamentary committee in December 2005: "The other problem about torture is that those who commit the torture deny it to themselves as much as they deny it to other people, so to track it is very difficult."
When countries promise not to impose the death penalty as a condition for obtaining a criminal suspect from another country, compliance is easily determined. But torture is universally condemned and nearly always clandestine. As Arbour has noted, "These practices often occur in secret, with the perpetrators skilled at keeping such abuses from detection. The victims, fearing reprisal, often are reluctant to speak about their suffering, or are not believed if they do."
What is more, neither a sending nor a receiving country has any incentive to expose or confront abuse, since doing so would implicate the receiving country in torture and the sending country in violating the prohibition against refoulement.
For more information, please contact:
In London, Ben Ward (English): +44-20-7713-2778
In Paris, Eric Goldstein (English, French): +33-6-20-67-27-27 (mobile)
In New York, Sarah Leah Whitson (English, Arabic, Armenian): +1-212-216-1230
In Cairo, Fadi al-Qadi (Arabic, English, French): +20-12-135-9232 (mobile)


text:
All non-essential programs at the Westbrook Community Center are suspended until further notice and the building is closed to the public. All inquires should be directed to Greg Post, Director of Community Services, at email@example.com. The Community Center will continue to provide online updates at www.WestbrookCommunityCenter.org and www.Facebook.com/WestbrookCommunityCenter.
Show All Answers
Click on the Notify Me link on our home page. www.westbrookmaine.com
Just once is okay. Some people are doing it weekly.
The Emergency Proclamation declared by Mayor Michael T. Foley pertains only to the municipality. For statewide mandates please visit www.maine.gov
Yes. The School Department will be preparing to welcome Kindergarten students in the fall.
Meals on Wheels will continue to deliver prepared meals to homebound older adults in the Westbrook and Portland communities. For more information, please call 207.878.3285.
All General Assistance meetings will be by appointment only, or over the phone whenever possible. To schedule an appointment, please contact their office directly at 207.591.7015.
Available to Westbrook residents only.
Westbrook PD would ask that people not come to the station to fill out a records request form, property request form, or to drop off concealed weapons permits.
Records request forms and property requests forms are available the PD website under the FAQ section.
Applications for concealed weapons permits can be mailed to the station, Attn. Ms. Wanda Martin - 570 Main St, Westbrook, ME 04092
No they will not be offering take-backs at this time.
We will not be offering fingerprinting services to the community at this time.
Walker Memorial Library has compiled a list of digital resources available to you for free or with your library card. Please visit https://walkerlibrary.org/digital-resources for more information.
For more information and updates about the library, please go to walkerlibrary.org.
You can download e-Books and audiobooks on your computer, Amazon Kindle Fire HD, Android tablets, Android phones, iPhone, and iPad with your library card. To download the cloudLibrary app on your device, please go to https://yourcloudlibrary.com, select what kind of device you have, and follow the instructions on how to install them. Any questions, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Yes, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your library card number.
Yes, please e-mail us at firstname.lastname@example.com with your questions.
Woodlawn Cemetery is currently closed for burials for the winter months. Although we are experiencing an early spring, with the Corona Virus complications, we are remaining closed. We will reevaluate this on April 15th.
Public Services is operating at full staff and is ready to handle any weather related event.
Winter sand will be available 24/7 until April 15th.
During this time, bulky items will not be collected curbside. Bulky items can be brought to Casella Waste at 594 County Road on Tuesdays and Thursdays 8am-4pm and
Saturdays 8am-1pm.
Curbside trash and recycling is an essential service that will continue as normal.
All municipal facilities are closed to the general public until further notice.
Please visit the city's Online Services page http://www.westbrookmaine.com/388/Online-Services to conduct transactions online.
Police, Fire & Rescue, and Public Services will remain fully operational during the current Public Health Emergency.
If you have an emergency please dial 9-1-1.
Please visit http://www.westbrookmaine.com/388/Online-Services for a list of all of the City's online services.
All public meetings have been canceled at this time.
All public meetings are canceled at this time.
You may apply for a vital record by mail or online. Click here for more information.
As City Hall is temporarily closed to the public, we are not taking appointments for marriage licenses at this time, nor performing wedding ceremonies at this time. Marriage licenses may be issued via mail upon receipt of notarized intentions, the $40.00 fee and documentation how the last marriage ended. The marriage license will be returned to the parties by mail. Signatures can be obtained by the person performing the marriage when the marriage is performed.
As City Hall is temporarily closed to the public, we are not providing notary or Dedimus Justice services at this time. However, click here to access the State of Maine's Total Notary Solution to find a notary in your area.
Dog license applications can be completed and mailed in to the office. Click here for the application and for additional details.
Based on The President's Coronavirus Guidelines for America - 15 Days to Slow the Spread, in communitieswhere transmission has occurred, bars, restaurants, gyms, and other venues where groups of peoplecongregate should be closed. We urge compliance to this guideline and everyone should use drive-thru,pickup, or delivery options. This is not a mandate at this time, however, we urge compliance.


text:
Re-posted to add to the discussion about sexual assault in the aftermath of the Steubenville rape trial, the Senate hearing on rape and harassment in the military, and the controversy at Occidental College. Cross-posted in Portuguese at Conhecimento Prudente.
Rape reporting, prosecution, and conviction rates across the country are appallingly low, but it's easier to get away with sexual assault in some places compared to others. Pennsylvania is one of those places. In Pennsylvania, expert testimony isn't allowed in the courtroom. Instead, jurors frequently rely on abundant, harmful rape myths.
We shouldn't be that surprised, then, that earlier this week the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) aired an ad plainly promoting the idea that women are to blame for being raped.
The ad shows a young woman sprawled on what appears to be a bathroom floor, underwear down at her ankles, with the caption, "She didn't want to do it, but she couldn't say no." The victim blaming here couldn't be any clearer, right down to the illogical language suggesting that the victim both had agency (she is to blame) and lacked agency (because she couldn't say "no").
Crafted by the Neiman Group, this ad was part of a larger $600,00 campaign — two years in the making — to raise awareness of the ill effects of drinking. Several different themes were proposed, but this was the "winner." Another ad in the same campaign holds a rape victim's friend responsible for her rape.
The PLCB pulled the ad campaign in response to hundreds of messages from concerned citizens, some of whom claimed they were traumatized by the image/message. However, a statement from the PLCB shows that those in charge still don't comprehend the problem:
"We feel very strong, and still do, that when we entered the initial discussion about doing a campaign like this it was important to bring the most difficult conversations about over-consumption of alcohol to the forefront and all of the dangers associated with it—date rape being one of these things."
The PLCB is right that alcohol and "date" rape (a term that trivializes rape) go hand in hand, but not because women are responsible for the criminal actions of the approximate 6% of men who perpetrate this crime. Instead, perpetrators exploit cultural narratives — like the idea that intoxication = miscommunication and that "date rape" isn't "real" rape — to repeatedly commit this crime. In a recent study of college students, 4% of men were found to be serial rapists; they committed an average of 5.8 rapes each.
In short, sexual assault is committed by (often serial) perpetrators. Yet ad campaigns like this will continue to ensure that sexual assault will continue to be the only crime in which society treats the victim like a perpetrator.
Caroline Heldman is a professor of politics at Occidental College. You can follow her at her blog and on Twitter and Facebook.


text:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a long-term disease that leads to inflammation of the joints and surrounding tissues. It can also affect other organs.
The cause of RA is unknown. It is an autoimmune disease, which means the body's immune system mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
RA can occur at any age, but is more common in middle age. Women get RA more often than men.
Infection, genes, and hormone changes may be linked to the disease.
RA usually affects joints on both sides of the body equally. Wrists, fingers, knees, feet, and ankles are the most commonly affected.
The disease often begins slowly, usually with only minor joint pain, stiffness, and fatigue.
Joint symptoms may include:
Other symptoms include:
There is not test that can determine for sure whether you have RA. Most patients with RA will have some abnormal test results, although for some patients, all tests will be normal.
Two lab tests that often help in the diagnosis are:
Other tests that may be done include:
RA usually requires lifelong treatment, including medications, physical therapy, exercise, education, and possibly surgery. Early, aggressive treatment for RA can delay joint destruction.
Disease modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs): These drugs are the first drugs usually tried in patients with RA. They are prescribed in addition to rest, strengthening exercises, and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Anti-inflammatory medications: These include aspirin and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naprosen.
Antimalarial medications: This group of medicines includes hydroxychloroquine (Plaquenil) and sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), and is usually used along with methotrexate. It may be weeks or months before you see any benefit from these medications.
Corticosteroids: These medications work very well to reduce joint swelling and inflammation. Because of long-term side effects, corticosteroids should be taken only for a short time and in low doses when possible.
Biologic drugs are designed to affect parts of the immune system that play a role in the disease process of rheumatoid arthritis.
They may be given when other medicines for rheumatoid arthritis have not worked. At times, your doctor will start biologic drugs sooner, along with other rheumatoid arthritis drugs.
Most of them are given either under the skin (subcutaneously) or into a vein (intravenously). There are different types of biologic agents:
Biologic agents can be very helpful in treating rheumatoid arthritis. However, people taking these drugs must be watched very closely because of serious risk factors:
Occasionally, surgery is needed to correct severely damaged joints. Surgery may include:
Range-of-motion exercises and exercise programs prescribed by a physical therapist can delay the loss of joint function and help keep muscles strong.
Sometimes therapists will use special machines to apply deep heat or electrical stimulation to reduce pain and improve joint movement.
Joint protection techniques, heat and cold treatments, and splints or orthotic devices to support and align joints may be very helpful.
Frequent rest periods between activities, as well as 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night, are recommended.
How well a person does depend on the severity of symptoms.
People with rheumatoid factor, the anti-CCP antibody, or subcutaneous nodules seem to have a more severe form of the disease. People who develop RA at younger ages also seem to get worse more quickly.
Without proper treatment, permanent joint damage may occur. However, early treatment with many of the newer medicines have decreased joint pain and damage.
Rheumatoid arthritis can affect nearly every part of the body. Complications may include:
The treatments for RA can also cause serious side effects. Talk to your doctor about the possible side effects of treatment and what to do if they occur.
Call your health care provider if you think you have symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis.
There is no known prevention. Proper early treatment can help prevent further joint damage.
RA; Arthritis - rheumatoid
Huizinga TW, Pincus T. In the clinic. Rheumatoid arthritis. Ann Intern Med. 2010 Jul 6;153(1).
Scott DL, Wolfe F, Huizinga TW. Rheumatoid arthritis. Lancet. 2010 Sep 25;376(9746):1094-108.
Harris ED Jr, Firestein GS. Clinical features of rheumatoid arthritis. In: Firestein GS, Budd RC, Harris ED Jr, et al., eds. Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008:chap 66.
Reviewed by: Michael E. Makover, MD is a professor and attending in rheumatology at the New York University Medical Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Read More
Patient Instructions
Notice: The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2012, A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.


text:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He's in your fridge, on your bookshelf and taking over your television screen. But as "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" brings back a cult comedy classic, has fictional leading man Ron Burgundy sold out?
The answer is "yes." Even the director said so.
In anticipation of the opening of "Anchorman 2" in U.S. theaters on Wednesday, the chauvinistic San Diego anchorman, played by comedian Will Ferrell, has promoted Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Dodge Durangos, written a memoir, anchored the news in North Dakota, and served as roving reporter for the MTV Video Music Awards. And that's just a short list of his stints.
His invasion of the mass market prompted some grumbling among die-hard fans across social networks: Ron Burgundy had become too mainstream, they said, and less likable to the niche audience of the first film.
"Ron Burgundy is a sellout," Adam McKay, the film's writer-director, told Reuters. "The whole joke of the character is that he is a complete and total sellout, so it makes us laugh to see him doing the news and selling cars."
McKay said the cult thing is over for the second film, which is a much more lavishly promoted release than the July 2004 film about the 1970s anchorman. Made by Paramount Pictures for a budget of $50 million, "Anchorman 2" could earn $55 million over its first five days, estimated Jeff Bock, senior box office analyst at Exhibitor Relations Co.
"Anchorman 2" picks up the story of the suit-clad and mustachioed Ron Burgundy, described as "more man than the rest," a decade after the first film, when he has been reduced to becoming an alcoholic SeaWorld announcer after losing his anchor job to his now estranged wife, Veronica Corningstone.
By a stroke of luck, Ron Burgundy is scouted for a new global news cable channel, and reunited with his news team - played by Steve Carell, Paul Rudd and David Koechner - as they take on New York City's world of broadcast news, and unknowingly usher in a new era of news known as "infotainment."
"American news has become really driven by ratings and entertainment. I think people working in broadcast news would even agree with that," said McKay, who directed the first "Anchorman" film and co-wrote it with Ferrell. "So the idea of making all of that Ron Burgundy's fault was too funny to pass up."
After the first film's jokes became quotable fodder for fans, McKay and Ferrell had to find new material for the beloved characters. They excluded a number of pop-culture touchstones such as Ron Burgundy's sign-off, "You stay classy, San Diego."
A few touches of homage, including Ron Burgundy's jazz flute and Brian Fantana's "Sex Panther" cologne, make brief appearances, as well as a second round of the news gang fight, featuring cameos from some comedy greats who the writers wanted to keep a surprise.
"For a percentage of people, it'll never measure up to the first one. But we wanted to take a big swing, not be timid, and create a movie that continues to surprise," said Ferrell, a co-writer of the film.
In "Anchorman 2," Burgundy once again rises to the top, but faces obstacles both in his personal and professional life, as he dates his black female boss (Meagan Good), faces off with a younger, more handsome anchorman (James Marsden), tries to be fatherly toward his son, and loses his eyesight. McKay compared his journey to that of the hero in a Greek tragedy.
"The whole legend of Ron Burgundy is all about rising and falling, so we had to think of some crazy way for him to fall again, and the idea of him going blind just really made us laugh," said McKay, whose friendship with Ferrell goes back to the mid-1990s, when Ferrell joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" and McKay was a writer on the show.
The first "Anchorman" film was made for $25 million and distributed by DreamWorks. It featured a cast of comedians who were rising stars, including Ferrell and Carell, and grossed $90 million at the worldwide box office. The second film reunited the original cast and turned a bigger spotlight on Carell's Brick Tamland, a weatherman with a very low IQ, who won over fans with strange and nonsensical phrases such as "I love lamp," and who finds love with a quirky, eccentric character played by Kristen Wiig.
"Steve Carell is so great to work with that it just seemed natural to amp him up, and the love affair was really the key idea to understanding him," McKay said.
While McKay and Ferrell are both anxiously awaiting how audiences respond to "Anchorman 2," Ferrell already has some ideas about how he'd like to see the characters evolve, if a third film becomes a reality.
"Watching Ron and the news team decide to buy a newspaper and think they can bring it back to life, and them dealing with print - that's considered the purest form of journalism. That could be a funny world for them," Ferrell said.
(Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Mary Milliken and Jan Paschal)


text:
Quickly exit this site by pressing the Escape key Leave this site
This site is a beta, which means it's a work in progress and we'll be adding more to it over the next few weeks. Your feedback helps us make things better, so please let us know what you think.
Apply for or renew a firearm, shotgun or explosives certificate. Whether you're a firearm owner, firearm dealer, shooting club member or planning to travel with firearms, answer a few quick questions and we'll guide you to the right form and everything you need to complete it.
Apply for a certificate to own less than 15kg of explosives for use in a firearm
Step 1: Familiarise yourself with the Explosives Regulations 2014.
Step 2: Download and complete the Application for an Explosives Certificate form (Form ER4A).
You'll need these details:
In this form you'll also need to specify whether you plan to acquire only, or acquire and keep, the explosives.
Step 3: Post your completed form to:
Cheshire Constabulary
Firearms Licensing Department
Clemonds Hey
Oakmere Road
Please note: Our offices are on a secure site that's not open to the public. Reception staff will only accept post delivered by the Royal Mail. We can't accept items delivered personally or by courier.
It's free to apply.
We'll get in touch as quickly as possible if we have any questions about your application or need to ask for more information.


text:
Most people have no idea that scents such as perfume, cologne, essential oils, after shave, deodorant, scented detergents and dryer products, household cleaners, gift baskets, candles, sachets, etc. are triggers for many people that have migraines. It's called osmophobia.
For a brief research overview on this, see Odorant substances that trigger headaches in migraine patients on the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health website. The bottom line: 70% of the 200 people in the study were triggered into a migraine after 20 minutes of exposure!
I ask my clients to be scent-free at my office. Here are a few instances where I've run into trouble: bedding at hotels and AirBnbs; waiting in checkout lines at department stores (items near the registers are filled with scented products and I've had to abandon my items and leave the store); a mobile notary that came to our house recently for us to sign re-fi paperwork was wearing cologne; an optician where I get glasses, people in the pool at the YMCA, etc.
I understand that people like to wear scents. There might even be a piece of individual identity wrapped in the scent of your choice. It's projected that by 2025 global fragrance sales will be over $52 billion dollars annually!
On the flip side, it is estimated that 38 million people in the US suffer from migraines, and it may be as high as 50 million. A Mayo Clinic research article states that, "the total cost of lost productive time due to any type of headache pain was $19.6 billion (in 2002 US dollars).
I'm not telling you what to do; I'm asking you to consider options. If you are in proximity to others who have nowhere else to go (e.g., a work setting, guests in your home, visiting others, etc.), you might want to ask if anyone among them gets migraines and whether scent is a trigger for them. If you're in a position to inform policy, consider creating a scent-free environment. You could be saving someone from a world of hurt.
I'm paraphrasing Clint Eastwood here "Go ahead, make my day [better by skipping scents]."


text:
Solid wooden bases are easy to use They add a great look to your baskets offering a strong sturdy...
Availability date:
Solid wooden bases are easy to use! They add a great look to your baskets offering a strong, sturdy bottom. Simply cut flat or flat oval stakes a bit longer than the finished height of your basket and insert one end of the stake into the groove (slot) of the base. Shape your basket as you weave to the top, finish off the rim and attach handles as you would any stake construction basket. Lots of shapes and sizes to choose from. This oblong base measures 5 inches x 8 inches.
Slideshow--Making a basket with a Wooden Base - opens in new window
Using Slotted Wooden Bases - opens in new window
Slotted Wooden Bases from The Basket Maker's Catalog
No customer reviews for the moment.


text:
Just started drawing randomly, half way through heard a Buena
Vista Social Club track, this is what I ended up with.
If you get a chance here's a couple of hot links to check out if you got a sec.
Great concept artist Stephen Chang at Stevoskit
A cool site from Brazil that showed a bit of my work DiTudU


text:
Naga describes a group of culturally and linguistically linked, but distinct tribes living on the border between India and Burma. Because the Naga had the reputation for being fearsome headhunters, they were somewhat isolated and evolved a distinctive material culture. They produce decorative ornaments, expressive wood carvings, and vividly colored textiles. The exhibition, from the Weltmuseum Wien in Vienna, includes examples from one of the largest and most important collections in the world.
Due to the efforts of American Baptist missionaries in the 20th century, the Naga became fervent Christians. However, their ancient customs and habits remain alive under a layer of Christian devotion. Originally assembled by Christoph von Furer Haimendorf in the 1930s, the collection has been augmented in recent years. The exhibition includes ceremonial costumes and weapons and large-scale photographs of Naga people.
Curated by Jan Van Alphen


text:
- March 3, 2024
George Albert Stevens, 84, of Lexington, Mass., and Longboat Key, died Sept. 3.
Born Jan. 31, 1928, in Detroit, he grew up in Clarksville and Fairmont, W.V., and spent his high school years in Tarpon Springs.
Mr. Stevens served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a 1949 graduate of Harvard College and passed the Massachusetts bar exam in 1957. He was a former pharmaceutical executive, venture capitalist and entrepreneur.
Mr. Stevens was preceded in death by his first wife, Margaret; son, Charles; and brother, Edward.
Mr. Stevens is survived by his wife of 38 years, Dolores; son, Andrew, of Gloucester, Mass.; daughters, Linda Stevens, of Cambridge, Mass., and Elizabeth Kempey, of Hoboken, N.J.; two grandchildren; and brother, David, of Port Washington, N.Y.
A private family mass was held Sept. 10.
Expressions of sympathy may be sent to The Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kan., 66675 or online at woundedwarriorproject.org. Online tributes can be written at douglassfh.com.


text:
Posts Tagged 'Law enforcement weapon storage'
Unbeatable Deals on Rifle and Handgun Evidence Storage Boxes
Evidence Rifle and Pistol Storage Box Deals
At StoreMoreStore we are running a special on both hand gun storage boxes and rifle storage boxes for your weapon evidence storage needs. Our sale includes two sizes, 1) hand gun storage boxes, 13" long by 8" wide by 2" deep, and 2) rifle storage boxes, 48" long by 7" wide by 2" deep. These evidence storage boxes are manufactured by Evident, and available while our supplies last.
More About Evident Weapons Storage Boxes
Evident Weapon Storage Boxes are constructed from white corrugated cardboard and feature locking tabs that keep the lid securely closed. Because your important evidence is stored in a secure box, it limits the amount of people touching the guns, which maintains the integrity of the evidence. Now you can safely secure, store, and transport hand guns and rifles from the crime scene to the lab or courtroom knowing your evidence has been properly maintained in an Evident Weapon Storage Box.
Well-organized Weapon and Gun Storage
Another benefit of keeping weapons in evidence boxes is that they are easier to store on your evidence room shelving. Weapon storage boxes organize and label hand guns and rifles for easy and quick retrieval. You can use your shelf space in a more efficient way because the storage boxes are consistent in size and shape.
Resourceful Evidence Management
Property and evidence management is a critical aspect of law enforcement. Properly storing weapons and guns in a well-managed and organized property room is important in order to maintain the integrity of case evidence. Hand guns and rifles are a part of the evidence accumulated by police officers and they can be some of the most difficult items to store because of their odd shapes. Using Evident Weapon Boxes is an easy and efficient way for law enforcement to store the hand guns and rifles they've collected as evidence.


text:
Diversity in God-Centered Worship
Unfolding Bethlehem's Fresh Initiative #4
Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, "THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED THEE FELL UPON ME." 4 For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 5 Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus; 6 that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Wherefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
Summary Observations
Ponder these especially in the light of the difference in preferences regarding worship forms at Bethlehem.
1. Strong and Non-Strong Christians
Verses 1–2: There are strong Christians and non-strong Christians in the church.
- Romans 14:2—those who have faith to eat anything, and those who eat only vegetables
- Romans 14:5—those who regard one day above another and those who regard all days alike.
2. The Differences Can't Just Be Wiped Away
Verses 1–2: Paul assumes that these differences cannot be wiped away simply by his teaching or praying, for he gives instructions for how to live with them, not how to remove them so that you don't have to live with them.
3. Edification and Self-Denial
Verses 1–2: The way to live with these differences and move beyond them is by putting a premium on edification and self-denial.
- Verse 2: seek to please others for their edification—what will build the faith of others and help them to live more by faith in future grace? This will move the weak toward strength and guard the strong from presumption.
- Verse 1: so don't make it a priority to please yourself. Be the kind of person who finds more satisfaction in denying your preferences for the good of others.
[NOTE: this is a mindset that sets the stage for solving problems of diversity; but is not the solution to what food will be served or days celebrated or music played.]
4. Christ Is the Example and Empowering Inspiration
Verse 3: Christ is the example and empowering inspiration for us in these two things: he did not please himself, but he took on himself reproaches that were not his to bear, so that good could come to others.
[NOTE: He was trying to bring about change in the world. He was not out to simply take people where they were and please them in their corrupt preferences. The point is not that we have no desire for others to change, but that our strategy is to suffer for them.]
5. Scripture as a Hope-Sustainer
Verse 4: Scripture is held out to us as our source for perseverance and encouragement to sustain our hope in the sometimes frustrating experiences of self-denial and love.
6. The Prayer for "the Same Mind"
Verse 5: The prayer that God give us the same mind (to auta phronein) does not mean immediately that he give us the same preferences about foods or days (or music forms), but that he give us the same spiritual values referred to here in these verses. When he says "according to Christ," it's the same as Christ's being given as a model in verse 3—a model of these values:
- the value of doing all for the edification of another's faith;
- the value of self-denial in that ministry;
- and the following value of exalting the all-satisfying value of God the Father through Jesus Christ.
7. The Aim Is Authentic Worship
Verse 6: The aim of all this way of living together with common values of building faith and denying self is that we might worship as we ought—"glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."
- with one accord—that's the inner unity of verse 5, the shared spiritual values, not the shared preferences.
- with one voice (literally: mouth)—this is the outer form unity that has to be found for a congregation.
[NOTE: It need not imply, I think, total dilution of all cultural differences into one service form or language. For example, I think that language differences can be respected and probably others things as well in separate services. But the tendency here, as last week in Colossians 3:11, is that we aim at overcoming the non-essential things that divide us and work toward expressing and experiencing unity in the spiritual values—especially, now the main aim and value of all, GLORIFYING GOD THE FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.]
Diversity in God-Centered Worship
Now this leads to our Fresh Initiative #4, Diversity in God-Centered Worship. Read it in the light of the 13 value statements on page six of the mission/vision statement booklet.
Observations on Fresh Initiative #4:
1. The Foundation of God-Centeredness
The abiding foundation of our corporate worship is God-centeredness. This is implied in our Mission Statement—a passion for the supremacy of God. We need to feel this from beginning to end, that we are driven by a passion for the supremacy of God's worth and greatness and the manifold beauty of all his perfections.
2. Subpoint 1
- "focused": minimize neutral minds and distracted heads and disengaged hearts. Engagement, intensity, earnest communion with the Lord. Thinking and feeling directed to him.
- "free": saying amen, lifting hands, clapping, standing or sitting, using overhead or hymnal, kneeling, praying aloud when the opportunity is given.
- " . . . lingering": not feeling rushed from one expression of worship to another and not leaving a truth or a moment of encounter too quickly. Using simple tunes and lyrics to assist in assimilating more rich and complex texts. For example, following the five verses of "Amazing Grace" with the repetitions "Hallelujah" to the same tune. There are reasons for repeating a song text two or three times: a) getting familiar with the words and tune; b) being relaxed in them; c) connecting with the Lord with no work on the text and music.
- " . . . in the presence": a sense of the Lord's nearness to receive our worship. A speaking directly to him and not just about him to each other, though that is biblically legitimate.
3. Subpoint 2
"Reflect diversity of our congregation and culture."
- We are diverse in what helps us connect with God. We want to expand the range where we can meet each other. This was implied last week in the "significant range" of Fresh Initiative #2.
- This is not to be conceived as a variety show or worship mall each Sunday, but as a new unified personality that will be uniquely us. It will be influenced mainly by these things: 1) the Holy Spirit; 2) the Bible; 3) the inevitable influence of our history; 4) this mission-vision document; 5) the fleshing out of this document by the worship and music task force in its documents; 6) the ongoing input of the congregation in its responsiveness to what is happening; 7) the gifts and personality and musical breadth and spirituality of the new lead worshiper; 8) me.
- The culture is not unimportant: we are not going to use instruments only familiar in Bangkok or Kankan. We will try to find a balance between being so unlike our culture musically that there is little natural resonance; or so like our culture that there is little sense of the uniqueness of God.
4. Subpoint 3
"Interweave values of intense God-centeredness and more personal ministry to each other in the power of the Holy Spirit."
Examples: including in the service things like praying for a missionary family at the offering time; praying for the Larson's in their crisis a few months ago; praying in clusters at certain crucial points in the church life; inviting the people to come forward for prayer about missions three weeks ago; encouraging ministries to one another before and after the services in this room; other possibilities where God may want to bring the Word more immediately to bear on individuals in the services.
The key will be that Christ is all in all.


text:
Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Planning and Zoning permits and forms can be found on the BOCC website on the Zoning page here.
Show All Answers
You may use the BOCC GIS to determine the property jurisdiction at www.sumtercountyfl.gov/map.
Zoning codes are part of the Land Development Code. There is a link to the unincorporated County Code here. The Land Development Code is under Chapter 13.
Mobile homes constructed to Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards are allowed in Sumter County depending on the property zoning. If the property is in the City of Bushnell (352-793-2591) or Wildwood (352-330-1330), please contact the respective city.
The unincorporated Sumter County and the City of Coleman allow mobile homes in the following zoning districts: A10, RR5, RR2.5, RR1, R2M, R4M, and R6M.
Unincorporated Sumter County and the City of Coleman also allow Class A mobile homes on any property where a house can be permitted: A10C, RR5C, RR2.5C, RR1C, R2C, R4C, and R6C.
The Cities of Webster and Center Hill allow mobile homes in zoning districts: A10C, RR1 & R6M.
Mobile home requirements are available here.
You may use the www.sumtercountyfl.gov/map website to check a property's flood zone status. Find the selected parcel with the search tool to find by address or name (Last Name first). Then select the "FEMA Flood Zones" layer in the left pane. Green is flood zone "A". Red is flood zone "AE". All others are flood zone "X". A property may contain more than one flood zone. Look for the rooftops. If any part of a rooftop is in the "A" or "AE" zone, the entire building is treated as being in the regulated flood zone. Flood zone "X" is the lowest risk. It is not regulated.
Flood insurance may be required by the Federal Government for any building that is wholly, or partially in the regulated flood zone (zones A and AE) if there is a federally backed mortgage (HUD, VA, etc). Use the directions above to verify if their house is in a regulated flood zone. If there is a mortgage, the lender can tell if flood insurance is required. If there is not a mortgage, flood insurance is optional no matter if the house is in a regulated flood zone or not.
You may check if the County has a copy of an elevation certificate by going to the BOCC website (www.sumtercountyfl.gov). Enter the parcel number into the "Search" field (upper right side). If we have an elevation certificate, it will be listed.
Agricultural zoning is different from being Agricultural Exempt. Agricultural uses are permitted in all Agricultural and Rural Residential zoning districts. Having property zoned for agricultural use does not automatically make it agriculturally exempt.
Agricultural Exemption is determined by the Sumter County Property Appraiser's determination of that portion of the property that has an agricultural classification code. You may contact the Property Appraiser's office at 352-569-6800. Alternatively, you may check online through the Property Appraiser's website.
You will need to contact the respective city if the property is within the City of Bushnell (352-793-2591) or Wildwood (352-330-1330). Residents of the unincorporated County and Cities of Coleman, Center Hill, and Webster, who have an agricultural classification as determined by the Property Appraiser, may apply for an agricultural exemption building permit online here. The agricultural exemption building permit can only be used on structures that will be used solely for bona fide agricultural purposes. The structure cannot have any residential component, including a bunkhouse or apartment.
The agricultural exemption building permit is free. Click here to apply.
Agricultural exempt structures do not require construction documents (engineering) or inspections unless they are constructed in a regulated flood zone with more than two walls. A fire inspection may be required if the building will be used for gathering of public such as a wedding venue.
Properties in the unincorporated County, Cities of Webster, Coleman, and Center Hill, that are in zoning districts for agriculture (A10, A10C, and AC) and rural residential uses (RR5, RR5C, RR2.5, RR2.5C, RR1, RR1C) may have farm animals. Residents in the Cities of Wildwood (352-330-1330) and Bushnell (352-793-2591) should contact those cities.
Residents with Rural Residential or Agricultural zoning (RR5, RR5C, RR2.5, RR2.5C, RR1, RR1C, A10, A10C, and AC) and at least one acre of pasture may have up to three livestock animals per fenced acre (not including the house). This includes horses, cows, donkeys, pigs, goats, and other farm animals. Different types of livestock can be mixed and matched so long as the density does not exceed three animals per fenced acre. Any pen or shelter that houses more than five livestock must be at least 100-ft from the property line. If you have questions about different types of animals or want more than three per acre, please contact Planning and Zoning at 352-689-4400.
Chickens, poultry, and ducks are permitted in the Rural Residential and Agricultural zoning districts. Residents may have up to ten birds per acre. Different types of birds can be mixed and matched so long as the density does not exceed ten animals per acre. Any coop that houses more than ten fowl must be at least 100-ft from the property line. If you have questions about different types of fowl or want more than ten per acre, please contact Planning and Zoning at 352-689-4400.
Livestock and fowl may be mixed on a property so long as there is enough acreage for both. If you have questions mixing livestock and fowl, please contact Planning and Zoning at 352-689-4400.
An address is assigned and provided to the permit applicant after a residential or commercial building permit is issued by Development Services.
The main reason an address is changed is when the access location to the structure is changed. There may be other situations that constitute an address change. If you have specific questions, you may contact GIS at 352-689-4400.
An easement is the right to use another person's property for a specific purpose such as access for vehicles or utilities. Most dirt roads in this County are shared easements and not maintained by Sumter County.
The County does not maintain records of who owns and/or maintains private access easements. If the ownership and/or maintenance requirement is not clear, you may contact a private attorney to explore your options.
The unincorporated County does not have setback requirements for fences. The fence cannot extend into the road right-of-way.
The landowner of a residential lot does not need a permit to clear their property or to remove a tree; however, a commercial or industrial landowner should consider existing vegetation for green space and buffers as part of the site plan permitting process requirements. The County's buffer standards can be found the County Code here. Buffers are in Land Development Codes under Chapter 13.
A property that has been given an agricultural classification by the Property Appraiser's office may install a storage building for agricultural use without a building permit. All other properties in the unincorporated County and Cities of Center Hill, Coleman, Webster, and Wildwood must either have a residence already built on the property or a building permit for a residence. They may apply for the storage building permit at the same time as the building permit for the house; however, the permit for the storage building cannot be issued until the house permit is issued. If the house is not constructed, the landowner may be required to remove the storage building.
Shipping containers may not be used as a storage shed in the unincorporated County unless they are permitted and installed as a residential storage structure. Shipping containers are not permitted for temporary storage.
Site development applications can be found here. Completed site development application packages shall be emailed to firstname.lastname@example.com.
An event permit is required if the general public will be attending your event. A permit is not required on residential property for a garage sale or private party.
How do I get an event/festival permit?
Applications may be found and submitted here. Completed forms can also be submitted at the Planning and Zoning office in Wildwood (7375 Powell Rd.) or Bushnell (319 E. Anderson Ave).
Deed restrictions and covenants do not apply to all properties. If the development has deed restrictions or covenants they will be on record with the County Clerk. To obtain copies of deed restrictions, call the Sumter County Clerks' Recording Department at 352-569-6600.
No, deed restrictions are a civil matter to be resolved in the courts.
ARC approval is not required to apply for a permit. However, it is advisable to have ARC approval prior to applying for a permit if you reside in The Villages® development.
A recreational vehicle as a temporary second residence may be used on a parcel for a period of not more than five (5) days in any sixty-day period, provided adequate sanitary facilities are provided. RVs are not permitted on vacant parcels without an issued building permit and approved temporary use permit during construction. Long term residential usage of RVs is restricted to RV parks and campgrounds.
Camping is only permitted at approved campgrounds and parks. Camping is not permitted on vacant private property.
Unincorporated Sumter County does not have an occupational license (business license) ordinance. The incorporated areas; City of Bushnell (352-793-2591), City of Center Hill (352-793-4431), City of Coleman (352-748-1017), City of Webster (352-793-2073), and City of Wildwood (352-330-1330) do have this ordnance. Please call the respective city for more information.
Sumter County does not regulate residential rentals so long as the owner is renting out the entire structure or only one room.
Sumter County has a Road Impact Fee Ordinance. The ordinance and fee schedule may be accessed on the here.


text:
Word Count:
For the best construction project management consultancy company, call EK Consultants.
Many radiant heat systems are embedded within concrete. Yet, when doing a thermal mass installation, to avoid cracks and shifting, the curing process and conditions need to be favorable. With a basic understanding of concrete, you will clearly understand what it needs to cure properly.
radiant heat, radiant floor heat, radiant heat concrete floor, concrete radiant heat,radiant heat in concrete
To find the best construction project management consultancy company, click here for EK Consultants.
To stop concrete from cracking, the first thing to understand about concrete is that it reacts to moisture. The moisture within it creates a chemical reaction that hardens the concrete.
Many people believe that once concrete appears lighter in color, with a hard surface that it is dry, but in reality concrete takes at least seven days to cure and several weeks to completely dry.
For concrete to become strong and for the surface to wear well, curing concrete needs moisture. Concrete needs to dry out at a slow continuous pace; otherwise shrinking and cracking will likely occur.
The strength of concrete when accurately cured is about 80 to 100 per cent higher than concrete, that hasnt been cured at all. To increase concretes strength this curing process should be stable and continuous. If concrete becomes too wet or too dry, cracks will certainly develop, resulting in future flooring problems.
Which means that if you are curing concrete on a hot sunny day, the chemicals within concrete will stop reacting once sufficient moisture is gone leaving it in a weakened state. Therefore concrete should be protected from damaging effects such as wind, sun and inconsistent weather.
The ideal temperature for hydration is 23


text:
Concern about private weed control
by Scott Burton
Weed control and neighborly relations received a lot of attention at the August 3 meeting of the San Juan County Commission.
Rigby Wright presented the concerns of a group of area landowners, including members of the county weed board, regarding weed control efforts on private land. Simply put, Wright said that some landowners are not spraying their weeds and are ignoring county notices to spray their weeds.
Extension agent Jim Keyes reported that one landowner would not sign for a registered letter, forcing the postal service to return the letter as undeliverable.
The group asked if the Sheriff could directly serve the papers. After the notification, if the landowners make no effort to spray their weeds, then the county could spray and add the charges to the landowner's tax bill.
Assistant County Attorney Walter Bird said the laws are in place for the county to take action, saying weeds are a nuisance that impact neighboring property owners.
Commissioner Bruce Adams, playing devil's advocate, said that many local residents complain about government intrusion. He asked the landowners if they were willing to take flack for encouraging government intervention on private land.
Jim Keyes agreed to work with the weed board to analyze the policy and laws and come up with a countywide plan to work through the issue and inform the public beginning in January, 2010.
Organic grains are a growing sector of the local economy and effective weed control is a critical need.
In other business, commissioners approved the purchase of an air compressor for the road department for $5,288.
Pay raises were approved for Sam Cantrell of the Surveyor's Department, as well as for four employees of the road department, which raised concern from Bob Jorgensen, a county resident who was present at the meeting. Jorgensen called for a "block in pay raises due to the condition of the economy." Commissioner Adams explained that these pay raises were part of the hiring agreement for both Cantrell and the Road Department employees that once they received certain training, they would get a pay increase.
Building permits were approved for a shed in Eastland, a shed on Blue Mountain Ridge, and a cabin on La Sal Mountain.
Mike Diem, of the US Forest Service, discussed a number of issues. These include fire suppression efforts at Dry Wash, Dry Mesa and Duck Lake, the impact of a proposed high-wattage radio station at the Abajo Peak station, work on the proposed Camp Jackson ATV trail, issues regarding access to private property, and locking gates on the mountain road between Monticello and Blanding.
- Log in to post comments


text:
Related links:
NASA Heads Out to Sea...
News story originally written on July 30, 1997
NASA is going to launch SeaWifs on the SeaStar spacecraft August 1, 1997. SeaWifs stands for Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor. This satellite is part of NASA's Mission to Planet Earth program, which studies the Earth from space.
SeaWifs will monitor plant growth in the ocean. It is thought that plant growth in the ocean affects the climate around the world. SeaWifs will help scientists test this theory.
From the satellite's view, vegetation (mainly phytoplankton) can be mapped by tracking the ocean's color. Phytoplankton are very small plants found in the ocean.
SeaWifs will also provide NASA with data that will help develop fishing maps so that people will know approximately how many fish will be caught in upcoming years.
The Orbital Sciences Corporation's SeaStar spacecraft is to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, aboard a Pegasus expendable launch vehicle.


text:
Tiki Draw is the integration of SVG-edit starting in Tiki7. This requires a modern browser (See SVG-edit site for list) and the data is stored in the SVG format.
SVG-edit was added to Tiki7 for Collaborative Image manipulation. SVG-edit is like a web-based Inkspace (drawing tool, for diagrams, pictures and illustrations) and not a picture and photo editor like GIMP. SVG-Edit is based on jQuery, like Tiki.
Starting in Tiki10, you can hide some of the features in SVG-Edit for a simplified interface.
Try it here:
This permits to edit drawings and to embed in wiki pages. It is also possible to pick an image as a background and to make annotations (text, arrows, etc.)
The actual storage of the .svg is in the Tiki File Gallery. So when file gallery detects its an .SVG file, it adds an edit button in the menu associated to a file (in file galleries list) which launches SVG-edit. There is also a "Create new drawing" button in file galleries panel
To use in Tiki7, you must activate and setup feature_file_galleries_batch (visit tiki-batch_upload_files.php to make sure all is OK) (no longer needed in Tiki8)
In Tiki7 or Tik8, you need to have the permission tiki_p_upload_files and visit the file gallery.
Starting in Tiki 7.1, you can start a drawing by putting {draw} in a wiki page. When viewing the page, it will ask you where to store the newly created drawing.
Starting in Tiki8, when editing a drawing using PluginDraw, when saved, the old version is moved to the archive (if feature is turned on). But this won't work if you edit from the File Gallery or if you are re-using that same Drawing in another wiki page. Perhaps better to use PluginInclude in this case...
Demo of screencapture and drawing
The SVG-edit has changed since the videos were made, but it still gives you a great overview.
Introduction to SVG-edit
SVG-edit 2.3: New Features
SVG-Edit 2.4: Part 1 of 2
SVG-Edit 2.4: Part 2 of 2
Use cases
Annotating images
For example, designer's Proofs or Mockups: Similar to PluginAnnotation (a simpler image annotation feature), it would be nice to pick an image from the system and start it in draw mode, where we can add captions. So the image would be the background in SVG-Edit
Drawing charts
I want to draw a diagram of some sort (ex.: org chart)
Try it out at http://demo.tiki.org/ (You'll likely need to activate the feature)


text:
Hubbard Radio Washington DC, LLC. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Hubbard Radio Washington DC, LLC. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
In his first policy speech, new Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised the military, but acknowledged DoD has grown older and more expensive in almost every way....
wfedstaff | April 17, 2015 4:51 pm
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel made it clear Wednesday that he's no fan of sequestration and that he believes the cuts are harming military capability. But, in his first policy address since being sworn in six weeks ago, Hagel said now is the time for DoD to start preparing for a future with fewer resources and undertake a serious effort to reform the institutional features that make the military an increasingly expensive organization to operate.
Before an audience at the National Defense University at Washington, D.C.'s Fort McNair, Hagel heaped praise on the advances U.S. forces have made since September 2011. The military, he said, has become more deployable, more expeditionary, more flexible, more lethal and more professional.
"But it has also grown older when measured in the age of our platforms. And it has grown more expensive in almost every way," he said. Hagel's remarks were not a tacit acceptance of the automatic budget cuts sequestration has begun to impose. He called the across-the-board reductions disruptive and damaging, and he said the strategic choices review he ordered the department to begin last month would not assume that sequestration would stay in place.
But, Hagel said, it's time for a wholesale reexamination of the main drivers of defense costs, nonetheless, so that DoD can preserve military capability while operating in a budgetary environment that all parties agree will include fewer dollars.
"This effort will, by necessity, consider big choices that could lead to fundamental change and a further prioritization of the use of our resources," he said. "Change that involves not just tweaking or chipping away at existing structures and practices but, where necessary, fashioning entirely new ones that are better suited to 21st century realities and challenges. In order for this effort to succeed, we need to be steely-eyed and clear-headed in our analysis, and explore the full range of options for implementing our national security strategy."
Growing imbalance of spending
After a little more than a month on the job, Hagel said it's already clear to him that while prior efficiency initiatives have gone some way toward reducing the Pentagon's costs for overhead, personnel and acquisition, much more needs to be done.
"In many respects, the biggest long-term fiscal challenge facing the department is not the flat or declining top-line budget, it is the growing imbalance in where that money is being spent internally," he said. "Left unchecked, spiraling costs to sustain existing structures and institutions, provide benefits to personnel and develop replacements for aging weapons platforms will eventually crowd out spending on procurement, operations and readiness — the budget categories that enable the military to be and stay prepared."
Hagel said while the Pentagon has cut its acquisition costs by canceling underperforming and over-budget programs, it still is reliant on an acquisition system that yields weapons systems that are more expensive and more technologically risky than their original plans envisioned. Without spelling out details, he said DoD needs an acquisition system that rewards cost effectiveness and efficiency.
And while he told the NDU audience there will be no near-term cuts to military pay and benefits, Hagel said the department must bring its steadily-escalating personnel costs under control.
"With full recognition for the great stresses that our troops and their families have been under for nearly 12 years of war, and for the essential contributions civilian employees make to the department's mission, fiscal realities demand another hard look at personnel: how many people we have, both military and civilian?" he said. "How many do we need? What do these people do? And how do we compensate them for their work, service, and loyalty with pay, benefits and health care?"
(Watch Hagel's full speech. Story continues below video.)
Hagel also suggested it's time for a reexamination of the way the institution of the DoD is organized, noting the department hasn't significantly altered its organizational chart since more than a quarter century ago when Congress passed the Goldwater-Nichols Act, breaking down military service stovepipes and institutionalizing jointness across the military branches.
"Cost and efficiency were not major considerations. Goldwater-Nichols succeeded in its purpose by strengthening the Joint Staff and the combatant commands, but it went about doing this by layering joint organizations and processes atop service organizations and processes," Hagel said. "The elevation of the former did not automatically lead to the diminution of the latter. Today, the operational forces of the military — measured in battalions, ships and aircraft wings — have shrunk dramatically since the Cold War era. Yet the three-and-four-star command and support structures sitting atop these smaller fighting forces have stayed intact, with minor exceptions, and in some cases they are actually increasing in size and rank. More broadly, despite good efforts and intentions, it is still not clear that every option has been exercised or considered to pare back the world's largest back office."
That back office is the so-called "fourth estate," the sprawling combat support bureaucracies that include the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the DoD field activities and the Defense agencies.
Hagel said it's time to take another look at funding for those activities.
"The military is not and should never be run like a corporation," he said. "But that does not mean we don't have a good deal to learn from what the private sector has achieved over the past 20 to 30 years, in which reducing layers of upper and middle management not only reduces costs and micromanagement, it also leads to more agile and effective organizations and more empowered junior leaders."
Intelligent cuts a must
Hagel said all the changes he wants to examine and potentially implement at DoD will take careful thought, and the department will also need time to implement intelligent reforms, something he said the department does not have under sequestration.
He said the requirement to eliminate $41 billion in spending over the course of seven months has forced the department to take the money from the relatively few areas in which it can reduce its outlays quickly — things such as military training and civilian salaries. If the cuts stay in place over the coming years, they'll force significant reductions in the uniformed military and weapons platforms, the Pentagon says.
"If we get time and flexibility to implement savings, we could limit the impact of spending reductions on force structure and modernization while still making a significant contribution to deficit reduction. By contrast, these quick and dramatic cuts would almost certainly require reductions in what have long been considered core military capabilities and changes in the traditional roles and missions among the uniformed services," Hagel said. "Regardless, we will need to take a critical look at our military capabilities and ensure that our force structure and modernization plans are directly and truly aligned with the President's strategy. That includes taking a new look at how we define and measure readiness and risk, and factor both into military requirements."
Hagel said the cost growth the Pentagon has experienced in the areas of acquisition, overhead and personnel are not emergencies today, but if the problems are going to be solved, they have to begin to be tackled now.
"We're not going to be able to sustain the current personnel costs and retirement benefits. There will be no money in the budget for anything else, and we'll become essentially a transfer agency," he said. "So how do we do this now so that we have some lead time and adjust to the realities that we know are coming? We've got time to get ahead of it, and that's part of the review. We've got to look at everything. I'm sorry. I wish it were otherwise, but that's a fact of life. And the longer we defer these things, the worse it's going to be for all of us."
Cost-conscious DoD reduces pricetag of big-ticket acquisition programs
25 years ago, Goldwater-Nichols united the Pentagon
Hagel orders review of US defense strategy
Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
Jared Serbu is deputy editor of Federal News Network and reports on the Defense Department's contracting, legislative, workforce and IT issues.
Follow @jserbuWFED


text:
Samsung unveils wearable 'wellness manager' in new gadget line
Among the announcements was the Gear Sport, which the tech giant called a "wellness manager" that will automatically coach users on staying active.
The device was revealed alongside the Gear Fit 2 Pro, a lightweight waterproof wearable aimed at swimmers, and the Gear IconX 2018.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe Korean technology giant made the announcements ahead of the IFA trade show in Berlin.
The new IconX comes with wireless earbuds that connect to the watch and can store up to 4GB of music, Samsung said, enabling users to exercise to music without their smartphone.
Samsung's Kate Beaumont said the three new devices were aimed at "people who see no boundary between their life and their wellness".
The new Gear Sport will automatically track all the wearer's activity, continuously monitor heart rate and suggest simple exercises when users remain stationary for long periods.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdApple's own wearable, the Apple Watch, already carries a similar Move notification that reminds the user to stand for one minute every hour.
Samsung also announced several new home appliance products, including its new QuickDrive washing machine, which the firm claims can halve laundry times.
The machine contains a new back plate which moves in the opposite direction to the drum, increasing the amount of movement during the wash and dry cycle, speeding up the process.
A new battery-powered vacuum cleaner - the Powerstick Pro - which can run wirelessly for 40 minutes, was also unveiled.
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdSamsung Europe's chief marketing officer David Lowes said: "Samsung's innovation is inspired by consumers and designed to make an immediate difference.
"This innovation is based on craftsmanship, clever connectivity and championing the impossible.
"As technology increasingly plays a role in every part of our lives, we're creating products and services that adapt to consumers and set the tone for what becomes their 'new normal'."
Other big names in the tech industry, including Sony and LG, are to hold press events on Thursday, when they will announce their own new range of products, including new smartphones.


text:
Amid Signs Of Weakness, Fed Reverses Course; Stocks Rally
Published Friday, June 7, 2019 at: 7:00 AM EDT
Uniformly positive economic fundamentals of early May suddenly turned mixed, the Federal Reserve abruptly reversed course, and stocks rallied this past week. Here's what's happening.
The yield curve inverted on May 14th, and inversion has preceded every recession since 1954, according to independent economist, Fritz Meyer.
The yield curve is the difference between the rate at which the Fed lends to banks and the rate on a 10-year U.S. Treasury bond. Since banks make money by borrowing from the Fed at the three-month T-Bill rate and lending it at a longer-term rate, the inversion destroys a bank's incentive to lend, and economic activity slows.
The yield curve on June 6th (red line) shows that three-month Treasury bill was 2.33% versus the 2.12% on the 10-year Treasury Bond.
Just six months earlier, on January 5th, the yield curve was steep. The black line shows the three-month T-bill rate was 1.39% and the 10-year rate was 2.47%. A sharp rise in short-term rates concurrent with a decline in long-term rates has caused the inversion.
The last inversion of the yield curve (gray line) preceded the recession of 2007.
Not every inversion of the yield curve causes a recession. For example, the inversion in June 1998 was met by a critical course correction by the Fed and the expansion continued for nearly three more years.
Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Powell, in delivering opening remarks on June 4th at a conference hosted by the Chicago Federal Reserve District, reversed course.
Following the breakdown in U.S.-China trade talks and the announcement by President Trump of a threatened tariff on imports from Mexico, the Fed chair reassured markets.
"I'd like first to say a word about recent developments involving trade negotiations and other matters," said Mr. Powell, before delivering his planned speech on longer-term policy matters. "We do not know how or when these issues will be resolved. We are closely monitoring the implications of these developments for the U.S. economic outlook and, as always, we will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion, with a strong labor market and inflation near our symmetric 2% objective."
Barely a month has passed since the Fed said that it was holding rates where they stood and did not expect to ease.
"The Committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 2.25% to 2.5%," said Mr. Powell, in the bi-monthly Federal Open Market Committee statement. "The Committee continues to view sustained expansion of economic activity, strong labor market conditions, and inflation near the Committee's symmetric 2% objective as the most likely outcomes."
The abrupt reversal, of course was what the stock market wanted to hear.
The Atlanta Federal Reserve's real-time model for forecasting the current rate of growth of the economy plunged. From a 3.1% growth rate in the first quarter of 2019, the GDPNow forecast for the second-quarter on Friday stood at 1.5%. The economy is slowing.
Also on Friday, the Labor Department said the economy added 75,000 net new jobs in May, which was much less than the 180,000 expected. It followed April's very strong 263,000 new jobs, which beat the 190,000 estimate. Job formation slumped dramatically preceding the last two recessions. Unemployment in May remained at a low last seen in December 1969.
May's weak new-jobs estimate from the Labor Department was corroborated by ADP's monthly estimate of new-job formation.
Meanwhile, manufacturers reported less activity. The Institute of Supply Managers index of purchasing activity at large manufacturing companies ticked down to 52.1 from April's 52.8. But May's new orders sub-index ticked up to 52.7 from April's 51.7, and manufacturing is historically a volatile business.
The much more important ISM index of purchasing activity at companies not in the manufacturing sector ticked up in May to 56.9 from April's 55.5, and May's new orders ticked up to 58.6 from April's 58.1. Since non-manufacturing accounts for about 88% of U.S. economic activity, that was good news.
Despite the cloud of uncertainty created by the possibility of higher costs of imports from Mexico, the Standard & Poor's 500 index gained 1.1% for the week, regaining some footing lost last week. Stocks were just 3% off the all-time high of April 30th and closed the week at 2,873.34.
The economy has been expanding for 119 consecutive months and is within days of becoming the longest of expansion in modern U.S. history. Current fundamentals are strong, with the U.S. Leading Economic Indicators recently ticking higher, unemployment at a 50-year low, benign inflation and surging productivity. But uncertainty is also high and stock-price volatility should be expected.
This article was written by a veteran financial journalist based on data compiled and analyzed by independent economist, Fritz Meyer. While these are sources we believe to be reliable, the information is not intended to be used as financial or tax advice without consulting a professional about your personal situation. Tax laws are subject to change. Indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Investments with higher return potential carry greater risk for loss. No one can predict the future of the stock market or any investment, and past performance is never a guarantee of your future results.
This article was written by a veteran financial journalist based on data compiled and analyzed by independent economist, Fritz Meyer. While these are sources we believe to be reliable, the information is not intended to be used as financial advice without consulting a professional about your personal situation. Indices are unmanaged and not available for direct investment. Investments with higher return potential carry greater risk for loss. Past performance is not an indicator of your future results.
- U.S. Investor Picture Of The Week
- The Conference Board Backs Off Its Recession Forecast
- Softening Economic Data, Inflation Fears Dampen Stock Rally
- S&P 500 Closes Above 5000 For The First Time Ever
- Why America Is The World's Economic Leader
- Investment News For The Week Ended Friday, January 26
- Why Stocks Broke The All-Time Record High
- A Strategic Update, With Stocks Near All-Time High And Crises Unfolding
- 2024 Begins With Positive Economic News


text:
"For my house. For my father. For my vengeance, and death to that which cannot die."
–Unknown vox transmission, intercepted near Mideal in M34
The Space Hulk Mortis Thule drifts silently through the void of the Jericho Reach, and with it comes devastation, ruin, and woe. Do you dare breach its hull and uncover its sanity-shattering secrets?
Ark of Lost Souls , a supplement for Deathwatch , is now on sale via download at drivethrurpg.com and rpgnow.com ! This unique tome is both a three-part adventure set onboard an infamous Space Hulk, and a Game Master's guide to Space Hulks in general.
Told over thee gripping chapters, Ark of Lost Souls ' included adventure will take your Kill-team to the brink of both sanity and survival. In Peril on the Horizon , the Kill-team is waylaid and met with a terrible fate while en route to break a siege at a newly founded Watch Station.Then, Survival sees the Kill-team stranded and alone; they must find their way to salvation, locating unexpected allies along the way. Finally, in Darkness at the Core , the Kill-team must overcome the horrors of the Mortis Thule and make their escape, but it may cost more than they are willing to sacrifice.
What's more, GMs can use the included Space Hulk Generator to create unique adventures set in the forlorn corridors of their own cursed Space Hulks!
Grand Adventure and Supernatural Horror
For more on Ark of Lost Souls , here's a brief word from developer Tim Flanders:
Across the galaxy, from the Ultima Segmentum to the Halo Stars, few events stand as such stark omens of doom and disaster as the appearance of a Space Hulk. Each bloated mass of debris, voidship wreckage, and lifeless star-stuff meandering through the galaxy spreads a pall of misery and terror in its wake like a ghost ship of ancient Terran legend. Still, the passing of a Space Hulk is met with wild rumors of the archeotech treasures and priceless relics that may lie deep within its twisting corridors and forgotten holds. The chance to uncover such wonders is irresistible to many a treasure-hunter and seeker of secrets, and many have braved the xenos infestations and Warp-born horrors that stalk each Space Hulk for a chance to acquire some lost bit of technology or uncover some invaluable artifact of ages long past.
Grand adventure and supernatural terror await within the labyrinthine depths of each Space Hulk, and that feeling of excitement and tension is what we have captured in Ark of Lost Souls , the latest adventure supplement for Deathwatch . For many players and GMs, the draw of a Space Hulk adventure lies in delving into what is essentially a dungeon crawl in the depths of space. Even a single Space Hulk can provide a near-infinite wealth of possibilities for GM ingenuity and player creativity. Whether you're moving from room to room through cramped corridors, fighting off stalking predators and hordes of mindless killing machines, or forging a path from the entrance to the dark heart of the cursed vessel while surrounded by darkness and maddening Warp-phenomena, the Space Hulk presents a setting in which GM and player imaginations can go wild.
And Ark of Lost Souls players are in for quite a ride aboard the Mortis Thule! They will face all manner of threats and uncover secrets from ages past as they delve its haunted corridors and cursed catacombs. Ark of Lost Souls offers Game Masters more than just a narrative adventure, too; it provides them with all the tools they might need to create adventures of their own aboard a Space Hulk. Needless to say, I think Game Masters and players, both, will enjoy the missions provided within Ark of Lost Souls , so long as their Battle-Brothers have the resolve to make it out of Mortis Thule with their sanity...
Thanks, Tim! Head to drivethrurpg.com or rpgnow.com to download your copy of Ark of Lost Souls today!
Deathwatch is a roleplaying game in which players take on the roles of the bio-engineered super-soldiers known as Space Marines. United with their battle-brothers, players will complete extraordinary missions involving some of the greatest heroes and deadliest opponents the Warhammer 40,000 universe has to offer.


text:
Contact Lens Related Infections
What can cause contact lenses-related eye infections?
While contact lenses are safely worn by many, there is a risk of developing eye infections. Factors that contribute to an infection can include:
- Use of extended-wear lenses
- Reduced tear exchange under the lens
- Environmental factors
- Poor hygiene
How can I avoid getting an eye infection due to contact lenses?
The best way to avoid eye infections due to wearing contact lenses is to follow proper lens care guidelines as recommended by your optometrist. You can help reduce the risk of infection by carefully cleaning, rubbing and rinsing your contacts, minimizing contact with water while wearing them and replacing the lens case often.
Below are some of the most common eye infections associated with wearing contact lenses.
What are corneal ulcers?
A corneal ulcer is an erosion or exposed sore on the surface of the cornea. Corneal ulcers are most commonly caused by germs. Other causes of corneal ulcers include viruses, injury and inadequate eyelid closure. Corneal ulcers are common in people who wear contact lenses, especially if they wear them overnight.
What are the symptoms of corneal ulcers?
The symptoms of corneal ulcers include:- Redness
- Pain
- Tearing
- Discharge
- White spot on the cornea
- Blurry vision
- Burning
- Itching
- Light sensitivity
How are corneal ulcers diagnosed and treated?
Early diagnosis is important in treating corneal ulcers. Your optometrist will ask you questions to determine what caused the ulcer. Your eyes will then be examined with a slit-lamp. A special dye may be placed in your eye to aid in the diagnosis. If it is not clear what the exact cause is, your optometrist may test a sample of the ulcer in order to properly treat it. Treatment for corneal ulcers needs to be aggressive, as some ulcers can lead to vision loss and blindness. Treatment usually involves antibiotics as well as antiviral or antifungal medications. Steroid eye drops may also be given to reduce inflammation. In severe cases, a corneal transplant may be needed to restore vision. If treatment is not administered, there may be blindness or even total loss of the eye.
What is Contact Lens Induced Acute Red Eye (CLARE)?
CLARE is an inflammatory reaction of the cornea and conjunctiva (a thin and transparent membrane that covers the sclera, the white part of the eye). This infection is mostly caused by sleeping with contact lenses and is characterized by awaking with red eyes.
What is the treatment for CLARE?
In most cases, no treatment is required. It is recommended that patients discontinue lens wear, which usually remedies the condition. However, if redness or irritation persists after 24 hours, you should see your optometrist. If you experience pain, sensitivity to light or decrease in vision, you should see your optometrist immediately.
What is Contact Lens Papillary Conjunctivitis (CLPC)?
CLPC is an inflammatory reaction of the upper eye lid and is very common among those that wear contact lenses.
What are the symptoms of CLPC?
The symptoms of CLPC include small, red bumps on the inflamed tissue on the underside of the upper eyelids. There is usually itchiness, discharge, increased lens awareness and decreased lens tolerance.
What is the treatment for CLPC?
Your optometrist may prescribe pharmaceutical eye drops such as anti-histamines and recommend that you stop wearing contacts until the condition goes away.